Sergeant First Class

California Military Department

10/4/2021

Special Act Award (Gold)

At approximately 4:30 pm on October 4, 2021, Oakland Military Institute’s security spotted an unknown person jumping the perimeter fence. At that time, the institution had nearly 60 students and adult staff on campus participating in extracurricular activities. The security officer notified Sergeant First Class Jason Schilling about the intruder, at which point he immediately moved to confront the individual to ensure the students and staff were safe. Upon confronting the intruder, who seemed agitated and unwell, Sergeant First Class Schilling asked him if he was armed. The intruder responded affirmatively and displayed a pistol with a large extended magazine. Sergeant First Class Schilling was unarmed and in the open, but continued speaking with the intruder calmly while firmly de-escalated the situation. Sergeant First Class Schilling convinced the intruder to unload his weapon, place it on the ground and calmly wait for the police to arrive. While waiting for the police to respond, Sergeant First Class Schilling reassured the intruder that he would be safe, coached him through his pending interaction with the police, and facilitated his surrender to the responding officers so that there was no violence or struggle. With no regard for his own safety, Sergeant First Class Schilling went above and beyond the call of duty. The State of California takes great pride in presenting the Gold Medal of Valor to the California Military Department’s Sergeant First Class Jason R. Schilling.